$100 Million Worth MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Never Left Ranchi for India’s Top Cities

MS Dhoni's rare 2021 T20 World Cup mentorship proved unsuccessful, as India failed to progress beyond the tournament's group stages.

$100 Million Worth MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Never Left Ranchi for India’s Top Cities

MS Dhoni revealed why he never left Ranchi for a big city. (via Economic Times)

In Short
  • MS Dhoni explains his decision to remain in Ranchi, citing deep personal connections and a peaceful lifestyle.
  • He faces legal issues in Ranchi, including a speeding ticket and allegations of land misuse.
  • Dhoni continues to play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL while maintaining a low profile post-retirement.

After having announced his retirement from international cricket, former Indian captain MS Dhoni has largely avoided the media spotlight. Dhoni most recently revealed why he chose to stay in Ranchi, Jharkhand, rather than relocate to one of India’s major metro cities. 

MS Dhoni remains one of the nation’s most-beloved figures, having captained the Indian cricket team for almost a decade from 2007 to 2017. The only captain to win all three major ICC tournaments, the 44-year-old is still an active cricketer.

A five-time IPL-winning captain, he continues to captivate fans by playing for the Chennai Super Kings for two months each year, a team with which he has become deeply intertwined.

While other former Indian cricketers have pursued careers in coaching or commentary, Dhoni, however, has remained away. Two of his trusted lieutenants, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, reside in London and Mumbai, respectively, but Dhoni leads a quiet life in Ranchi. Recently, during a conversation with two students on ‘Rise To The Top,’ the 44-year-old explained his decision to not move to a top-tier Indian city.

Speaking as a mentor to two aspiring doctors, Galib and Arpita, Dhoni spoke about his deep affection for his hometown of Ranchi, while stressing the logistical peace of living in a smaller city. He explained that he gets a lot of time to spend on his personal growth and with his family.

MSD even emphasized the fact that Ranchi holds a memory of his struggle, and that having spent his entire childhood there means he knows everything about the city. He said via Allen Online on YouTube:

I have lived here [Ranchi] since childhood and I know every single thing about the city. I have seen everything in Ranchi happen right in front of my eyes… Whenever I land at the airport, I feel like I have arrived at my own home. When you become so attached to a place, you don’t even think about moving out.

Dhoni shared his experiences of watching Ranchi develop, since it became the capital of Jharkhand only after the state was separated from Bihar in 2000. He talked about how it feels like home even while he is in the airport, and even credited growing up in a small town with helping him manage the unpredictability of life. The former Indian captain currently resides with his family at his sprawling 7-acre farmhouse, ‘Kailashpati’, on Ranchi Ring Road. 

MS Dhoni will soon be seen in action in IPL 2026, with him having already joined the CSK training camp. This past week, he was also seen in Mumbai at the wedding of Sachin Tendulkar‘s son, Arjun, with his wife Sakshi, and attended India’s T20 World Cup semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.

MS Dhoni faces double legal trouble in Ranchi over land misuse and overspeeding 

Indian cricketing legend MS Dhoni is currently dealing with a series of high-profile legal problems. The 44-year-old has been in the news after two separate cases were filed against him in Ranchi; one concerning over-speeding and the other related to the misuse of land.

MS Dhoni legal troubles
MS Dhoni has faced legal troubles over the past two months. (via India Today)

Earlier this year, Dhoni found himself involved in a decade-old INR 100 crore defamation lawsuit that he filed in 2014 against a retired IPS officer and various houses in the country regarding the infamous 2013 IPL betting scandal. The CSK icon has been directed by the Madras High Court to pay a whopping INR 10 lakhs by March 12, 2026, as a fee for transcribing and translating the evidence linked to the case.

Adding on, he was issued a notice by the Jharkhand State Housing Board over alleged misuse of his former residence on Harmu Road, Ranchi. Dhoni has been charged for using the plot commercially, while it was only allotted for residential use. Earlier this month, the ex-India captain even ran into trouble with Ranchi’s new automated traffic system and was issued a challan of INR 1,000 for going over 90 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. 

The traffic offense, interestingly, occurred at a time when the legendary Indian wicket-keeper batter was preparing to leave for CSK’s pre-season training camp. Despite the minor nature of the fine, the issues quickly went viral on social media.

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